Newsletter

Zodiac welcomes creators and crowds for One Spark

Jacksonville’s downtown is no stranger to food and festivals, but Zodiac Bar and Grill‘s fusion of Mediterranean cuisine and One Spark creators make it decidedly different from other urban eateries.

Having served the city for 10 years, this eatery is a well-loved hotspot for lunch and dinner. Soon it will also be a prime location for One Spark project showcasing.

Zodiac’s manager, Rima Wegener, recalled the experience of being an official venue for the 2013 One Spark festival.

“We hosted last year and it was really great,” she said. “It was a great success to us and to downtown.”

Wegener said she especially enjoyed displaying the projects the restaurant hosted, which included eye-catching landscape paintings and music history ads, as well as a live band that played in the restaurant. The projects brought a slew of new people to the business.

The only downside, she said, was the inclusion of food trucks in the area. Because the trucks catered to last year’s visitors, they attracted the hungry crowd Zodiac hoped to feed.

“I do worry about the food trucks because, of course, we want business in our restaurant,” Wegener said.

Despite concerns, Zodiac is anticipating another successful festival and is excited to be hosting again this year.

This year’s festival will see five projects hosted at Zodiac — a mix of innovation, art and music — including Creator Anthony Whiting’s Wild Bird Paintings project and live performances from indie singer-songwriter, Alexis Rhode.

“We look forward to it,” said Wegener. “One Spark is a great experience for everyone in Jacksonville.”